


Everybody loves little Max Caulfield

by Golden_Hour_on_the_Seashore



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - No Storm in Arcadia Bay (Life is Strange), F/F, Fluff, Slow Burn, chasefield
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:41:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26357383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Golden_Hour_on_the_Seashore/pseuds/Golden_Hour_on_the_Seashore
Summary: Max Caulfield's everyday life used to be plain and simple until her Photography teacher, Ms Walker, forces her to work with Victoria Chase on a drawing project representing "love"(yes, drawing in Photography class)
Relationships: Max Caulfield/Victoria Chase, Rachel Amber/Chloe Price
Comments: 16
Kudos: 50





	1. Talk to Me (Cavetown)

Max closed the door and sat on her bed. She looked at the mountain of cardboard boxes in front of her and sighed; as happy as she was to finally be at Blackwell, unpacking was going to take forever. But hell, she had her own dorm room! She smiled and moved her gaze away from the boxes, looking around her. She already had a few ideas about how she was going to decorate her place; the wall behind her was craving to be covered in pictures, she had lots of posters in her stuff, and she could already perfectly see her floor covered with her carpet. “Keep calm and carry on” indeed; she had to start taking everything out.

Before that however, she jumped to her phone. She promised herself that as soon as she had a moment, she would send a text to her old friend Chloe, a pirate with whom she used to roam Arcadia Bay when they were kids.

It had been five years already.

Max hoped Chloe wouldn't hold it too much against her for not staying in touch, even though she had every right to be; Max left right after her father's death and stopped contacting her after a mere few texts. She was ashamed of herself. She left her best friend deal with everything fucked up in her life all by herself, without even a call. Her fucking best friend.

“ _Hi Chloe”_

She stopped typing. How was she supposed to act? Being like “Oh I'm sorry for being an ass, let's meet again”?

She looked back at her screen.

“Shit!”

Her finger must've slipped, and the _“Hi Chloe”_ had been sent without any context. She quickly fumbled with her phone, trying to quickly explain her situation without sounding too lame. Better get straight to the point.

“ _I'm back in Arcadia Bay, I got accepted into Blackwell. I'd like to see you again, if that's ok with you. I've been a total ass”_

She turned off her phone and put it down, let out a long sigh, and got up. She had to start unpacking.

_ _

“Looking good!” said Max while looking around her. Now this really felt like home, with all of her stuff in every corner. She took out her camera, smiled at the shutter, and pressed the button. A flash filled the room, followed by a small buzzing sound. Max took the photo, shook it a few times, and looked at it. There she was, with her newly decorated room right behind her.

She walked to her bed and pinned the picture above it.

“The Max Caulfield Memorial Wall: Origins” she smirked.

She then remembered her phone, and the text she sent to Chloe a few hour earlier. Now that she was finally contacting her again, the last thing she wanted was for Chloe to wait for her answer. Max turned her phone back on, and waited a bit for it to connect to the network.

After a few seconds, Max frowed.

“No text..?”

Now that was odd. Maybe Chloe hadn't seen the messages yet, but if she did, then... Then she willingly ignored Max.

“It's only been a few hours, calm down Max. Chill out. We'll see tomorrow”.

**__ **

“Now it's starting to get interesting” said Max while looking at her wall. Today was her first day of school, and she took plenty of pictures for the occasion. As soon as she got back to her room, she had pinned everything. It still covered only a small portion of the wall, but it'd be a waste for the Memorial to only cover her first day; there were plenty to come.

The day had been less than average, Max had to admit. She met her new class/doormates,and even though most of them seemed nice, she had to say that she was disappointed in Blackwell when it came to how it handled its students, especially the wealthiest ones.

Victoria Chase, as Max did, came from Seattle to Arcadia Bay for Ms Walker, their well known photography teacher. Max heard about the Chase family back in the big city. Not that much, but she at least knew for a fact that they were pretty well off, especially since an art gallery wore their name...

Victoria occupied the room right in front of Max's, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. During the day, Victoria seemed to act like she was some kind of queen, and surprisingly none of the teachers proved her wrong. She dressed in expansive clothes, and seemed to be judging everyone else on their appearance. Needless to say that when she saw Max, she looked down on her, smirked and moved on to someone else.

And there was also Nathan Prescott, son of the wealthiest family in Arcadia Bay. Even richer than Victoria, he cared even less about anything respect related. From what Max saw, he was just an ass. The biggest ass in the Bay. He seemed sketchy as fuck.

But Max's thoughts weren't preoccupied by her new acquaintances; right now, her attention was focused on her still silent phone.

She gazed at it.

She had received a few texts from her parents during the day, but nothing from Chloe. Trying not to worry, she still couldn't help imagining the worst things, from Chloe not knowing how to answer, to her deliberately not answering because she was still resentful and didn't want anything to do with her. Or maybe something worse. Last time she received any news was 4 years earlier when Chloe tried to contact her and she didn't write back. Anything could've happened in 4 years.

Gosh why had she been so stupid? Chloe was her best friend and she treated her like shit when she sould have helped her cope with her life. And only now she realized that. After five years...

Max fought back her guilt. She didn't want to obtrude if her presence wasn't wanted, but she had to know. If the next day she still hadn't received anything, she would go to Chloe's house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> This is my very first fanfic, and my first real writing project as a whole, so it's faaaaaar from being perfect. I don't think I handle the characters really well (even though only Max appeared in this chapter) and my writing isn't all that good, so if you have any suggestions or anything feel free to share :)  
> Btw, I am not a native english speaker, so my bad if I made any mistakes
> 
> One last thing, it'll take at least 4 or 5 chapters to get to the juicy stuff, so it's normal if the story doesn't have anything to do with the summary just yet.


	2. Fine on the Outside (Priscilla Ahn)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Chloe won't answer Max's texts after five years without talking to each other, Max, worried, decides to go check on her at her house.

The bus dropped her down the street. Max looked up and saw the house of her childhood, more vivid in her memory than her own old house. She smiled, thinking about the times she and Chloe used to run all around the neighbourhood. She still remembered every detail, their secret passages, their camps, where they hid their 'treasures'... It used to be their island, but now the steet looked like it was slowly decaying; less parked cars than before, most windows closed, almost nobody outside. Maybe seeing the place through her childish gaze made it seem more cheerful, more innocent, but Max doubted that it was the only reason. Everything in Arcadia Bay seemed less joyful than before, and she wasn't the only one noticing that.

She started walking. Her phone had stayed silent the whole day, making her even more worried. Something was off and she needed to know what.

During her classes that day (even Photography, which was incredible in itself since that was the most interesting lessons she was ever given the chance to follow), time felt slower and slower, as if Max was stuck in some kind of goo, moving very slowly towards the evening, towards Chloe. And now, she was finally there, right in front of her old friend's house.

The 44, Cedar Avenue looked the exact same as it did five years ago, apart from the fact that its colors seemed to have faded a bit, like an old photograph. It was still half painted, as William left it.

Seeing that pained Max a bit. William still held an important place in her heart, and being once again reminded of his death, even after five years, still hurt.

Looking up, she froze. Right there was the window to Chloe's room, and even though it was around 5. 30 pm, the shutters were closed.

Max stepped to the porch, trying not to breathe too hard, and knocked three times.

She heard footsteps, then the door opened.

"Max Caulfield!"

In front of her stood Joyce, Chloe's mother. She was beaming, as if she was happy for the first time in months.

"Hi Joyce" Max smiled back at her before being pulled into a tigtht embrace.

"Coming back home after taking over the big city I guess? I thought I'd never see you again. I'm glad."

Joyce pulled away to take a better look at the young woman she now had in front of her.

"Look at you... A lovely young woman. How are you doing Max?"

"It's nice to see you again. You look the same"

"Even after all this time? You're flattering me"

"No, I assure you. You still look pretty"

"And you're still as sweet as you were back then" said Joyce with a smile. "Oh, what a fool am I? Please, come in."

She stepped out of the way, closing the door behind Max before leading her to the living room. She sat at the table, inviting Max to do the same.

The interior let out the same impression as the facade: faded, but still looking more or less the same.

A man was sitting in the couch, looking at them with suspicion

"Hi", said Max, still standing, not knowing who she had in front of her. She felt like she saw him somewhere before.

"Hey there missy. Who are you?"

"David, this is Max, Chloe's old friend. The one she used to talk about all the time" explained Joyce on a calm tone.

Max frowned at the use of the past tense. David kept staring at her for a few seconds, before relaxing a bit.

"Nice to meet you, young lady"

"I know where I saw you!" exclaimed Max, before realizing how she just acted. David seemed once again skeptical. "Sorry", she blushed, before continuing on a lower tone. "I know where I saw you. You're working as a security officer at Blackwell, right? I... think I saw you yesterday"

His expression softened, seeming proud all of a sudden.

"Yes indeed I am. I am head of security at Blackwell. You were the one taking pictures all around campus with your instant camera, right?"

"Yes indeed I am. I am Max Caulfield, nice to meet you", repeated Max, imitating David's tone with a faint smug smile. He seemed surprised at first, before smiling in return, reaching out his hand toward Max.

"David Madsen, Joyce's husband"

Max shook his hand, surprised at first: Joyce had found someone. Max felt relief flowing through her, along with a bit of guilt. Not only had she never kept in touch with Chloe and Joyce, but she never even thought that her friend's mother would probably need to try to move on and get married again. She truly felt happy for her.

She looked back at Joyce, frowning once again. Chloe was nowhere to be seen, even though her voice could easily be heard from upstairs.

"Where is Chloe? I texted her two days ago, but she never answered" she said while sitting at the table in front of Joyce.

The waitress' face darkened. Behind her, David cleared his throat.

"Chloe..." she seemed uneasy. "Chloe isn't here... with us anymore"

Max's hear sunk. She froze. Time seemed to have slowed down, she had a hard time breathing. Chloe wasn't here anymore. The words echoed in her head. Chloe wasn't here anymore and she never kept in touch. Chloe wasn't here anymore and she never knew. Chloe wasn't here anymore and Max had lost her best friend.

"This... can't be" she choked, feeling tears filling her eyes, making everything blurry. "What... How... Chloe..."

"What is it, Max?" asked Joyce, both concerned and surprised. "What are you..."

"Wording, Joyce" said David's voice behind her. "Wording"

She turned to stare at him, then looked back at Max, who was still busy fighting back her tears. Suddenly, her expression shifted from worried to shocked.

"Oh no no no, that's not what I meant at all!" she almost screamed. Max stopped gasping, lifting her head to the waitress who had stood up

"W... What..?"

"Chloe's fine, she isn't living here anymore and that's it, she's not hurt or..." she srugged, before quickly glancing at the phone in the entrance. She left the sentence hang in the air for a bit, before quickly adding "She's totally fine".

Max stared at Joyce for a few seconds, then sunk her head in her hands, breathing loudly and wiping off her tears. After a few moments, she raised her head again.

Joyce sat back and sighed.

"I'm sorry Max. I guess I'm a bit stressed out lately"

"No... No biggie" Max stuttered, almost whispering.

Silence fell upon the room, until David groaned:

"She left three years ago without telling us anything. For weeks. Then one day she called out of the blue and informed us – or should I say, informed Joyce – that she was with that Amber girl, on some kind of road trip. Since then, she never came back and calls from time to time to keep u... to keep her mother updated"

Max noticed a sad expression in his eyes, which was gone as quicly as it had appeared.

Joyce nodded with another sigh, then added:

"Last time she called was one week ago. She and that girl, Rachel Amber were in... What was the name again?" she asked while turning around to look at David.

"Neah Bay", he grumbled in a slow, chopped voice. "The most northwestern town in the US – If you don't count Alaska. Don't ask me what they're doing there"

"So, everything's okay? Is she... happy?"

Joyce's face lit up a bit.

"Yes, yes I think she is. Even if it's not with us, as long as Chloe is happy, I'm happy"

Max thought that she didn't seem very 'happy', but kept that for herself. Joyce missed Chloe a lot, that was obvious.

"She didn't answer my texts, do you know why?" asked Max, trying to move the conversation away from Chloe's whereabouts. "Is she... that mad at me?"

Joyce chucled, smiling once again.

"No Max, she just broke her phone two years ago and had to change it"

Max repressed her need to facepalm. Ugh. Now that she knew it seemed evident. The idea that Chloe's number changed during those five years hadn't even crossed her mind – _like a lot of things lately_ , she thought. Joyce added:

"Wait here, I'm gonna write that down for you"

She got up and went to the kitchen, to come back with a post-it note and a pen. She wrote Chloe's new number on it, and gave it to Max.

"There you go, young woman" she said with a smile. Max took the piece of paper with great care as if it was the Holy Grail, then looked back at Joyce.

"Thank you"

"No need to thank me Max. Chloe's been dying to hear from you for five years, you shouldn't make her wait any more than that."

Max cringed and scratched the back of her head.

"Yeah... Sorry again about that. She was my best friend and I never even called... I've been awful to her"

"Life often gets in the way, Max. Better late than never. Now don't wait any longer, go and make her day! We'll have all the time in the world to talk about the last five years later" Joyce was smiling as she said that. A genuine, happy smile.

Max got up and looked at her and David.

"I'll drop by the Two Whales soon. I can't wait to eat your waffles again, it's been so long..."

"That'll be on me then" and, as Max was about to protest, "No, you can't change my mind"

"Fine, if you say so", Max grinned. "See you later, Joyce. Bye Mr... Madson, was it..?"

"It's Madsen. See you at Blackwell, missy"

_ _

Max was back in her room. She took the note out of her pocket and entered the new contact in her phone.

_"Hi Chloe, it's Max. Your mother gave me your num-"_

"Shit!" cursed Max as her shaking hands once again sent the message before it was fully written. She resumed writing her text but within five seconds her phone started buzzing. Chloe was calling her.

Slowly, Max picked up and put her phone next to her ear. Then bruskly pulled it away as Chloe's screaming voice, still recognizable after five years, pierced the speakers

"YOU FUCKIN' SHITTIN' ME!!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter was a bit too short, so I tried to make this one longer, and I will do the same for the others. Once again, thanks for reading and don't hesitate to tell me if you think there are things that deserve to be changed (Not only for the story in itself but also with the tags and stuff).  
> See you in Chapter 3!


	3. Glad that you Called (Blood Music, First Aid Kit)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe left Arcadia Bay three years earlier with a girl named Rachel Amber. Max got hold of her new phone number and decides to call her, hoping that she won't resent her too much for not staying in touch.

"YOU FUCKIN' SHITTIN' ME!!!"

"I-"

"MAX CAULFIELD CALLS ME OUT OF THE BLUE AFTER FIVE YEARS HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO HANDLE THAT SHIT HUH?"

Chloe sounded like she was about to cry. She stopped screaming and breathed hard, sniffing. Max heard someone say a few words in the backgroung, followed by fabric noise. Not knowing what to say, she stayed silent. Finally after a few seconds, realizing that Chloe was going to stay mute, she carefully articulated:

"I've been awful. And you have every right to be mad at me."

Another sniffle.

"Please Chloe, say something..."

"You sure as hell have been awful to me. And Mom"

"I know"

"She was hurting too. A lot. Because of... Dad of course, but not only. Losing almost overnight both him and you, it was... She cared about you so much, as if you were her daughter. You were part of the family, you know that?"

"I do"

"Max, stop with those half assed answers. You treated us like shit and I hope you're ashamed of yourself"

"Bloody hell, I know that! And of course I'm ashamed, how couldn't I be?"

Another silence. Then Chloe started talking again:

"Why now out of all time?"

Her tone was more calm than before. Her breathing was still a bit chopped but apart from that, she seemed to be more of less back on speaking terms; she still sounded exasperated though. It surprised Max. She was expecting her old friend to stay mad at her for at least a little while longer, and that was if she eventually stopped being mad at all. Out of all the scenarios that went through her head before calling, she never imagined that she would calm down that fast.

"I got accepted into Blackwell", she carefully said. "I moved in a few days ago and I wanted to see you, but I didn't know you left Arcadia Bay..."

"..."

"So I tried contacting you, but since I only had your old number, I recieved no answer. I was worried something had happened, so..."

"Five years is a long time. I could've been dead and buried for ages and you would't have known about it"

"Y... Yeah, the though crossed my mind. So, I went to your house..."

"You saw Mom? How is she?"

"... and I- What? But she told me you called her one week ago..?"

"Gosh Max, it's not the same thing. When I have her on the phone she sounds cheerful and all but I know that it's hard on her. Hell, I yell at you but I left my Mom the same way you left us"

"No you did not. At least you stayed in contact. Which I didn't"

Pause. Then a sigh.

"Yeah, I guess. How is she, Max?"

"Well... She was really happy to see me, but... How to put this... She felt... empty? I- I mean, not empty herself, but... She looked sad on the inside. It felt like seeing me was the first good thing that had happened to her in ages"

She heard Chloe chuckle sadly. Then:

"It's cool that she got to see you" She paused. "Thanks"

Max couldn't believe what she just heard. Talking to Chloe again felt weird to begin with, but hearing her 'thank' her?!? What the hell?

"Chloe Price, don't you dare thank me now, you hear me? I don't deserve it"

"Ugh, you're such a pain in the ass"

"I- what?"

"Dammit Max, I want to stay mad at you so fucking much but I can't! Even though you'd hella deserve it! And now I'm pissed at myself for that, uuugh!"

Max stayed stunned for a few seconds, before exploding in laughter. On the other side, Chloe seemed irritated.

"And that's how you're gonna react? I confide and-" All of a sudden, her voice felt more distant. "What, you're going at it too?"

Another woman's voice could faintly be heard behind Chloe's. She was laughing.

"But you're so funny when you're about to pout!"

"Yeah right, laugh at me all you want, both of you" said Chloe, her voice clear again. Even though she was trying to sound angry, she couldn't repress a snicker.

Max managed to calm down a bit. She was still breathing hard and her eyes were tearing, both of laughter and relief.

"It feels good talking to you again Chloe"

"Yeah, yeah"

_ _

Max was astonished to see how much Chloe had changed since she last heard from her five years earlier. She was a totally different person but, at the same time, Max would've recognized her right away.

They had been on the phone for around an hour, making up for all those past years, when an idea crossed Chloe's mind.

"Wait a sec, you have no idea what I look like right now, do you? Has Mom showed you the pictures I sent her?"

"Nope, I didn't stay long. She wanted me to call you as soon as possible, so I told her that I would drop by the Two Whales soon, and then we'll have more time to ca..."

"Want me to send them to you?"

"...tch up- Oh, of course, I'd love to!"

"Wait, Imma take one right now while I'm at it" Her voice fainted slightly as she, Max guessed, pulled the phone away from her ear. "Rachel! Photoshoot time!"

"Coming!" said the other voice, almost too far away to be heard. Max distinguished the sound of footsteps. A car door opened, then closed.

"Say 'cheese'!"

"Don't worry, I'm used to it", answered Rachel's voice in a soft tone.

"There you go. And... sent."

Max felt her phone vibrate next to her ear. She looked at it, opened the picture, and saw two young women seated in a truck, smiling at the camera. She instantly identified Chloe, in front of the steering wheel, who was holding the phone with her left hand while making a V sign with the other. She wore her hair shorter than she used to five years earlier, but they still had that same strawberry blond tone recognizable among a thousand others. She had tattoos all over her right arm.

Right next to her was Rachel, staring at Max with an intense gaze, a mysterious smile at the corner of her lips. Her hair was slightly lighter than Chloe's, and she wore them a bit shorter, in a pixie cut. A feather-shaped blue earring hanged under her left ear.

The truck seemed to be parked on the side of a road, next to the sea. The sun was setting in the background, giving the scene an amber feel – The golden hour.

The picture was magnificent.

"Earth to Max, you there?"

"..."

"Maaax?"

"What? Oh, sorry" She put the phone back to her ear. "Damn, you changed so much Chloe, you look so much more... mature"

"Mature, me..? I'm not so sure about that" she said with a laugh.

"Yeah, maybe not mature but... Grown up"

"That I sure did"

"And your friend Rachel is so pretty too..." Max said in awe before biting the inside of her cheek. She had forgotten that said Rachel could hear her.

"I bet she is!" Chloe exclaimed, her voice brighter than ever, while Rachel's laugh could be heard in the background

"Wait a sec, I'll send you a pic too" said Max, trying to change the subject so as to hide her embarrassment. "Selfies are my forte"

_ _

Max had just sent the photo, but Chloe was staying silent.

"Er, Chloe? You still there?"

"Max"

"Yes?"

"Did you just took a selfie with an instant camera and then took a picture of the photo with your phone..?"

"Uh, Yes I... did..? I love the way pictures look when taken with an instant camera and my phone can't replicate that, so I thought that the best way to send you a pic was by doing s-" she was cut by Chloe's burst of laughter

"This is SO like you Max!"

It truly felt good to be talking to Chloe again.


	4. Get Home (Angus & Julia Stone)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After five years, Max and Chloe can finally talk like the best friends they used to be; and still are. After Max's first call, Chloe has an announcement to make, something that her and Rachel have been considering for a few months. (Don't get your hopes up, they're not getting married. Not yet)

Max woke up to the sounds of drums and guitar. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling which the sun had started to light up while Angus Stone's voice filled her ears. She stayed like that for a while, thinking about life. About Chloe and Rachel. Especially Chloe.

She couldn't believe that they made up without a hitch after all this time, after she had imagined all of those terrible scenarios in which the one who used to be her friend said horrible things to her. _Horrible but deserved_ , she thought. Chloe should've been more angry. Not that she would complain of course; as is, it was easier for both of them. But the guilt still gnawed at her, and she knew that it was here to stay, for a long while if not forever.

Anyway. Now wasn't the time to think about that, she had to get ready for classes. Being late was the last thing to do at a place like Blackwell, especially during the first week.

_ _

Max sat at her desk. Thankfully, she had arrived at the same time as everyone else, and the only glare she recieved was from Victoria, as usual.

Being at Blackwell felt weird; It was so, so much different from her life in Seattle, and she still wasn't used to anything, but some stuff – like Victoria's glares and remarks – already felt like the norm.

She superbly ignored her and looked at the door, just in time to see Ms Walker enter, along with her mighty aura. It was already the third lesson that she gave them this year, but she was still as impressive as she had been the first time she saw her.

Gabriel Walker was in her mid/late twenties. She had blond hair, the same length as Max's, and wore big round glasses, which reminded her of those who could be seen in pictures taken in the 1930; which contrasted with the rest of her clothing since she always wore simple jeans and plain T-shirts, with a different color each day. Today was light orange.

"Silence please!" She said wile trying to cover the chatter. Realizing that almost nobody had heard her, she frowned and bruskly slammed her hand on her desk.

"SILENCE!"

Everyone suddenly stopped talking, looking at her in surprise. Never before had she been forced to scream, but then again never before had the class been this noisy.

"Thank you", she similed proudly.

The lesson started from where they left it the day before. Max was sucked in, mesmerized by Ms Walker's words. She was in the middle of explaining black and white's effect on the perception of the image when a phone rang. Max sighed, closing her eyes. Couldn't people just... put their phones in airplane mode during class? At the very least? She opened her eyes again, only to be faced with Ms Walker staring at her.

"Could you please turn off your phone, Max Caulfield?"

Max looked down at her phone in shock: It was ringing, and the name 'CHLOE' was written in big letters on the screen. Horrified, Max pressed the 'I'm busy' button and turned off the device while hastily apologizing, more embarrassed than ever. _Gee Chloe, that was the worst moment you could've chosen..._

"Be careful next time Max, or else this kind of things could appear on your record. And that includes all of you young folks", she said while looking at the rest of the class. "If I hear another phone I swear you'll hear about it big time."

She went back to her desk. Max felt someone looking at her and rose her head to catch Victoria's gaze. She was staring at her, a little smile on her lips.

"Are you that stuck in the eighties that you don't know how to silent a smartphone, Maxine?" she whispered.

"Shut up" was the only thing she could muster, looking back at her notebook.

"Woah, what a comeback! I shouldn't have expected better from the Great Maxine Caulfield" she smirked while putting the emphasis on the end of her surname.

"Shut. Up." repeated Max

Ms Walker had barely resumed her lesson, writing stuff on the board, when another phone rang. She stopped dead, then slowly turned around to glare at a petrified Victoria who was alterning between looking at her phone and their teacher.

The ringing stopped, the class went silent. Finally, after a few seconds:

"Ms Chase"

"Y- Yes?"

Another pause.

"I must say. When I told you all earlier that this shouldn't happen again, I wasn't expecting it to be so soon"

Victoria's face was a mix of shame and guilt. Max noticed her lower lip shivering.

"Consider yourself lucky. I won't hold it against you but ONLY because until now you've been one of our model students. If that happens again, however..." She left her sentence trail off, while Victoria released the breath she had been holding.

Ms Walker's excuse seemed weird though. From what Max had seen since she met her teacher a few days earlier, she didn't seem to be the kind of person who would avoid tarnishing a student's record only because of it being spotless; quite the opposite in fact. _She must have her reasons, I guess... Whichever they may be._

Ms Walker went back -once again- to the board. Max leaned toward Victoria, and smirked:

"She should've taken ten points from Slytherin"

"Shut up Maxine. Just... Shut up" she sighed, visibly unable to find a convenient answer.

Max didn't argue and went back to the lesson, a smile on her lips. She could see Victoria's profile not far away from her. She seemed to be pouting, her hand supporting her head and her palm covering her mouth. She seemed almost human. _Kinda cute..._

_ _

**CHLOE:** _hey mad max_

 **CHLOE:** _u ghosting me again arent u_

 **CHLOE:** _see u in 5 years_

 **CHLOE:** _u know i could die of sadness_

 **CHLOE:** _max im dead now_

 **MAX:** _Chloe I'm in class right now uuuugh_

 **MAX:** _I can't even_

 **CHLOE:** _u better call me back its important_

 **MAX:** _I will, just wait a few hours ok? I'll call you when I'll be back in my room._

 **CHLOE:** _cant u just get out of the class 4 a few minutes_

 **CHLOE:** _tell teacher fk off?_

 **MAX:** _No..?_

 **MAX:** (눈‸눈)

 **CHLOE:** _now imma die of anger_

 **MAX:** _See ya in a bit, Chloe_ (^_^)/

 **CHLOE:** _ugh_

**__ **

"Finallyyyyy! Mad Max!"

"Indeed here I a-"

"You sure took your time! You have that many classes?"

"-m... Well yeah, and you almost busted me in Photography earlier.... I forgot to turn off my phone and it rang in the middle of the lesson"

"Whoops, sorry about that!" she said on a joyful tone which didn't seem sorry at all. "So, you ready to hear the news?"

"Is this something I should be worried about?"

"Well, that depends on how you see the thing"

"Uh... You're not pregnant, are you?" Max asked with a falsely worried voice and a smile on her lips.

"Uuugh, no, gross. You're one funny girl, arent'ya?" Chloe said with a sigh. "Anyway. There is something both me and Rachel have been thinking about for a few months"

"Uh huh?"

"And we thought about it again after you called me yesterday. You being here is the occaison we were waiting for" She took a deep breath, and then dropped the bomb. "We're going back to Arcadia Bay".

Silence.

"...Max..?"

Max couldn't believe what she just heard. Since the day before, she got used to the idea that her friendship with Chloe was going to stay digital. That since her and Rachel were so far away, they wouldn't be able to actually see each other, at least not before a long time. And here was Chloe, saying that they were about to come back.

"Uh, Max..? Don't tell me that this bothers you?"

"I.. Uh... You... YOU SHITTIN' ME THAT'S AWESOME!"

"Woah there Mad Max, hold your horses!" laughed Chloe after witnessing Max's roar.

"Shoot, my door was open. Wait a sec"

Max put down her phone and got up to close the door. Right outside was Victoria, wo was probably about to open her own before hearing Max. Now, she was standing against it, facing her, her usual smirk on her lips. She stayed silent.

"What now Victoria?"

"Chill a bit Max. I have the right to be here" She pointed a finger to the door behind her." That's my room you know"

"Yes, I know. Now, if you please don't mind" sighed Max before closing her door before she could answer, leaving a probably pissed Victoria alone in the hallway.

"Who was that?" asked Chloe as soon as Max picked up her phone again.

"Victoria Chase. She lives in the room in front of mine"

"Oooooh, that bitch!"

"What, you know her?"

"WE know her. Ain't that right? Victoria Chase."

"Ooooh yeah we do", said Rachel in the background.

"She was at Blackwell with us when we left three years ago" added Chloe.

Max stayed silent for a moment, thinking.

"But... wait. I was told that she came here last year because of our Photography teacher..."

"Well lemme tell you, she's been here for a wile. She probaly lied again. That bitch"

"Woah Chloe, calm down a bit. What did she do to you?

"She's fake. She's uptight. She's ready to do any nasty stuff to get to what she wants. She's always hidden behind a psychological wall and never shows her true emotions. That said when I think about it, last time we saw her she seemed more 'relaxed' than usual" Chloe laughed, so did Rachel.

"Don't you think you're being a little too hard on her?

"Uh, why would you say that Max? You barely know her and you already have proof that she's not honest. And you saw her, I bet she looks down on you. On everyone. She's a bitch and you can't change my mind.

"Well, she's well hidden behind her 'wall' and stuff, but sometimes she's just human. It's not often, but... Today for example, she was called out by Ms Walker because her phone rang in class, like mine. She didn't get anything in the end, but I swear, when our teacher turned her back, she started pouting. Pouting! And sometimes too, when she takes pictures on campus, she makes that face when she's focused. She frowns and snorts at the same time and it's so funny!"

"...Huh."

"What?"

"Well, you... no, nothing. You noticed all of that in a few days?"

"Three. I swear, I know that there is someone interesting behind all of that. And, I'm sorry Chloe, but I can't hate someone who pouts like that. I really can't"

"Huh."

"What?!?"

"Nothing, I said! Nothing. I'll stop insulting her if you want it so much"

"Oh, thanks..?" _Well, that was surprisingly easy..._

"Glad to see that you're so happy that you can't stop talking about us coming back though, huh?"

"Oh God I'm so sorry! Yes of course I'm happy!" Max beamed. "Where are you right now? When will you come back exactly?"

"Now that's more like it", Chloe smirked. "We're in Neah Bay, the Nor-"

"The northwestern town in the US – If you don't count Alaska" Max diligently recited.

"You know about it?"

"That's what David told me when I went to your house yesterday"

"Oh" Chloe's voice sounded bothered by something, but she quickly snapped out of it. "Anyway, yeah we're in Neah Bay. We still have stuff to do here, but we'll be back in two or three days"

"I can't wait to see you again! And to meet Rachel too" she added, remembering that Chloe wasn't alone.

"Likewise!" said Rachel's voice.

"We're planning to stay for a few months, we don't know how many yet. We'll see I guess. But one thing that we know for sure is that we won't stay forever, the road is always waiting for us" Chloe waited a bit before adding "You could come with us then..?"

"Oh... I'm sorry Chloe, but I can't leave Blackwell behind. I've been waiting for years to come here, I can't just leave it like that..."

"Figured you would say that", Chloe said with a smile in her voice "But you still have months and months to think about it. If... something bad happens and you don't want to stay... You're welcome to come with us"

"Don't get your hopes up too much" Max laughed. "But I'll keep that in mind. Thanks"

_ _

Victoria got up and walked to her door, stunned. _What?!?_

Way too much stuff had been said in what she just heard. She entered her room, closed her door and let herself fall on the bed.

Caulfield. Maxine Thea Caulfield is friends with Chloe Price. Chloe Price is coming back to Arcadia Bay. She's coming back to Arcadia Bay with her 'girlfriend' Rachel Amber. They still hate her (no surprise on that end though).

And fucking Caulfield defended her.

Dammit, she said that she makes 'funny faces' when she's focused or when she pouts.

Ugh. Why.

As if this day wasn't already shitty enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4, here we are.  
> There was something that I wanted to say about Gabriel Walker's physical appearance. Of course, you can picture her however you want, but in my case, when writing her, I imagine her looking a lot like Mackenzie Davis as Mindy Park in The Martian (awesome movie, awesome book btw). That's it, nothing really important but I wanted to write it down for posterity.  
> Oh, also, regarding the chapters' names. Those are musics that for most, I think, fit the 'Life is Strange' vibe and setting (And taken straight out of my 'Liked Songs' playlist on Spotify). I'm not putting them here and asking you to listen to them while reading, just sharing stuff that I like in a way that I like. But you can do whatever you want of course:)
> 
> Anyway, thanks again for reading, leaving kudos, and stuff. That means a lot to me, you can't even imagine.  
> Thank you.


	5. Our Own Pretty Ways (First Aid Kit)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe and Rachel are coming back to Arcadia Bay in a few days and Max just can't wait; except she has to. And what better use of that time than to get to know her new dormmates?

Max's eyes went blind for a moment when exposed to the morning sun. She closed her eyelids for a few seconds before opening them again.

"Hi Max! How are you doing today?"

Dana was sitting on the steps in front of the dormitory entrance.

"Hi Dana! I'm okay, thanks. What about you?"

"Pretty excited in fact! And this has to do with you..." she smiled.

"What do you mean?"

"Tonight's the night..." she said in a mysterious tone, looking at Max straight in the eyes. Seeing her bewildered look, she added "There's an old tradition here at Blackwell... Every new year... They say some students meet late in the night in a tiny room..."

Dana stayed silent for a few more seconds, scrutinizing Max.

"To do... what exactly..?"

"To..." she leaned toward Max and whispered on a secretive tone "get to know each other around some snacks and alcohol"

Max snorted and chuckled.

"That was it?"

"Would you be interested in joining our 'occult session' tonight?" Dana grinned.

"Of course!" Max said with a warm smile before shivering. "But no alcohol for me though. The only time I tried it I ended up puking on the floor. Who will be there?"

"I knew I could count on you Max", she beamed before frowning, seemingly lost in thoughts "Uh, wait a sec... You and Kate are the only newbies this year, so of course I was gonna ask you two... Uuuuh then, there are Brooke and Stella, but last time they stayed in their rooms so I wouldn't bet on it this year either... Alyssa doesn't live in the dorm, and same goes for Courtney... I think that leaves me, Juliet, Taylor and maybe Victoria. Not sure about her though" she shrugged while looking up at Max again. "Is that good?"

"Perfect!" Max answered, then added, a bit embarrassed "Most of the time I don't put myself out there on my own and I end up rarely interacting with people... So I need that. To force myself. Thanks Dana."

"No problem Max. Now I won't hold you any longer. See you in my room at 9?"

"I'll be there. Later Dana"

There was still a bit of time before classes. Max sat on a bench and watched the sky, her eyes still sensitive to its brightness.

She took out her journal and started doodling, drawing Dana in the distance, still on the same steps, texiting on her phone. Once done, Max then shifted to Samuel, kneeling in front of a squirrel, next to Tobanga. After a few minutes, she lifted the drawing to be at eye level and stared at it.

_This actually looks pretty good!_

Voices echoed from the other side of the dormitory grounds, from where Dana was sitting. Victoria and Talor just got out, and even though Max was too far away to understand what they were saying, she managed to hear the words 'evening' and 'alcohol'. Victoria brought her hand to her chin, seemingly thinking about Dana's offer, before shaking her head and leaving. Taylor exchanged a bit with Dana before tagging along, seemingly frustrated.

"But think about it, that might actually be fun! You know Dana, she knows how to organize this sort of thing!" she said while they were passing near Max.

"Listen T, I'm just not in the mood for that today, ok? I don't wanna go through another short night"

Victoria then noticed Max sitting on her bench, listening to her. She gave her a cold glare, snorted and then strode off, Taylor still tugging on her sleeve.

After a few minutes, having added some finishing touches to her drawings, Max got up and started walking toward the main building. Ms Walker, a few meters away, seemed to be sleeping, lying in the grass, seemingly not afraid that her white T-shirt might end up stained. She silently walked past her.

Max was about to pass the gate which led to the main part of campus before noticing Victoria, now standing alone on the bus stop, her camera out, taking pictures of the sky protruding behind the dormitory. Max jumped backwards, hiding behind the wall. After a few seconds, she peeked at Victoria who was seemingly focused on her camera. The device was so close that it was hiding her features.

_What... am I doing? Why am I hiding?_

She shifted a bit, letting Max see her face. She lifted an eyebrow, taken aback; Victoria was completely expressionless. She stayed hidden, while still looking at her. Slowly but surely, Victoria, still staring at her screen, started to frown, a focused expression covering her face. She made a small snort.

A look of shock covered Victoria's face when she realized that she herself was the one who made the noise.

"Dammit!" she whispered. "Focus, for fuck's sake! No funny faces!"

She went back to her blank expression, then to her camera.

_What's up with her..?_

Just as Max was about to come out – classes were starting soon – Victoria put her camera back in her bag, sighing. She glared at the patch of sky she was aiming at earlier, as if it was responsible for what seemed to bother her.

"Fuck" she let out angrily before stroding away toward the main building.

Max, still trying to understand what she just witnessed, did the same. Her lesson started in less than five minutes, no need to be late for something like that.

_Whatever..._

Suddenly though, she stopped walking and spun backwards. She had the feeling that someone was looking at her, but upon closer inspection, no one was to be seen.

"Weird..."

_ _

Voices were coming from Dana's room. Max raised her hand and shyly knocked twice.

"Come in!" Answered Dana's voice. "Max! Right on time! Make yourself at home" she added once she was able to see who her guest was.

"Thanks. Hi Juliet!"

"Good evening! Ready for the chit chat party?" Juliet asked, eyes widened.

"I... I think so! Where are the others?"

"There's only the three of us for now. Shouldn't take long" Dana said while patting the end of her bed. "Take a seat! Do you want something to eat? To... drink..?" she added with a smirk while showing the multiple bottles and bags of snacks piled up in the center of the room.

"No thanks, I don't wanna taste that ever again" shivered Max while sitting down on the bed. "Uh, alcohol, I mean, not food. I like food. I like... I like to eat"

"Oh do you? Would you advise me to try it out?" Juliet laughed, before seeing Max's embarrassed face and quickly adding "I'm just teasing you, don't worry"

Max had always been quite shy when talking to pleople she barely knew, and right there, right now was the perfect example. Especially when she was talking to more than one person at a time.

_When I think about it, the only one I got used to talking to is Victoria... Not that we have real conversations though. She's always picking on me..._

At the same time, one single tiny knock came from the door, which caused Dana to get up, beaming. Juliet took advantage of her friend's moment of distraction to snatch the nearest bottle. Max couldn't guess what its content was, since it was completely bland; noticing her look, she winked and put her finger in front of her mouth.

"Kate! Welcome, come in!"

A blushing but smiling Kate entered the room without a word. She looked around, waved at Max, and sat on the ground not far away from her.

_Well at least it looks like I'm not the only one dealing with social awkwardness..._

"How are you doing Kate?"

"Fine, thanks. And you?"

"L... likewise" Max blushed.

_Dammit!_

"Chill out, both of you, that ain't a trial, we're here to have fun!" shouted a happy Juliet, bottle in hand. It was already half empty.

"July, where in hell did you learn how to get drunk so fast?" Dana sighed.

"Pure. Vodka."

"What? But that's not... Oh God that's Vodka. Oh. God.That's Vodka."

"Heh heh"

"Juliet that's not funny! We were supposed to keep that one for later! And get rid of that smug look"

"But looooook, they're having fun!"

Indeed, Max and Kate were looking at them, giggling.

"Hey, that's not funny!" Dana frowned, the corners of her lips twitching. She seemed geuinely annoyed, while still having a hard time staying serious. "I'm not kidding, this could be dangerous"

She snatched the bottle out of Juliet's hand.

"Give me that. No alcohol for you for now. And stop pouting!" she added before sighing and shifting her attention to Kate, who was still chuckling. "Sorry for that. Just when you arrive of course..."

"No it's... It's fine, really! It feels good to laugh with people for once" she smiled, looking down at the carpet.

"You see?" declared Juliet proudly. "She loves me"

"Wahtat?" Kate stuttered, shocked and blushing again.

"Why are you here again, July?" Dana huffed through her fingers.

"Because I'm your bestiiiiiiiie" purred Juliet while hugging her friend, eyes closed.

After a few minutes, somebody knocked again. More assertively this time. Before Dana coud say 'come in', the door opened, revealing Taylor, dragging by the arm a mumbling Victoria.

"You came!" Dana smiled, getting up. Juliet splattered on the floor.

"Duh, of course we came" Taylor proudly announced. "We weren't gonna break the tradition"

"Speak for yourself", Victoria grunted, before adding "She forced me. That's NOT my idea."

She looked around the room, and noticed Max. She squinted her eyes before snorting and taking a seat at the other end of the room.

"Come on V, you're gonna have a blast! Don't make that face" Taylor pleaded while sitting down next to her.

Victoria glared at her, before noticing the bottle Dana took from Juliet earlier. Said Juliet was slowly crawling in its direction, trying not to be seen.

"Give me that" Victoria lashed while grabbing the bottle. Before anyone could stop her, she drank all that was left in one go.

"Vic you okay? Dana what was that?" Taylor asked, concerned.

"She just drank Vodka..."

"Vodka drank Victoria" Juliet let out in a muffled voice, her face in the carpet. Kate chukled.

Victoria's face twitched. She gulped, before letting out in a rasped voice:

"That... was nothing"

"You... sure?"

"I AM sure, Taylor!" she replied on a more assertive tone. "I'm fine!"

"But.."

"I'M OK!" she lashed before glancing at Max and abruptly putting on the same blank expression she had that morning.

_Poker face._

Taylor stared at her, usure of what to do, but stayed silent.

"Sooo... Now that everyone's here!" exclaimed Dana, clapping her hands while still shooting quick glances at Victoria from time to time. "What should we begin with..."

Max looked around and noticed that she and Kate were the only ones listening. Juliet was resting against a wall, eyes lost in the void. Victoria was trying to look like she was being attentive but the same emptiness could be found in her gaze. Taylor, by her side, was looking at her, seemingly worried.

Obvious to all of that, Dana continued on her joyful tone:

"We have two new faces tonight. We're all gonna introduce ourselves properly and give one fun fact about ourselves!"

Juliet slightly came back to life and grunted something that sounded like 'Oh God no' and Victoria, her eyes a bit clearer, pushed Taylor away.

"Is that really necessary? We already know each other's names..."

"Do you?" Dana squinted with a malicious look.

"Well duh, of course I do! There's you Dina, then Juniet, Courtney, Cake and Maxine"

Juliet grunted again while Kate blushed. Taylor looked down at her knees, seemingly hurt.

"Yeaaaaah sure" said Dana, victorious. That seemed to be exactly what she was expecting. "We'll still do it then, just to be sure"

"Whatever..." let out Victoria.

"I'll start! I'm Dana Ward, and I've been at Blackwell for four years. I dream of being an actress and I love chocolate crisps, even though it's hated by a lot of people", she said while pointing at a crumpled bag poking out of the mountain of snacks.

"So fucking cliché" groaned Juliet, who who had finally gotten rid of her empty look to stare at Dana.

"Your turn then"

"Fuck" she sighed before pausing for a few seconds, seemingly lost in thoughts. "I'm Juliet Watson and uuuh... and..." she took a deep breath "and I'm single and nobody loves me and please somebody love me" she quicky mumbled while keeping a straight face – which was an impressive feat.

"Mooooh" Dana moaned before hugging her. "But I love you, you know that?"

"I'm sorry Dana, but I don't think of you that way" she stated on a flat tone, still wearing the same blank expression as Victoria's.

"What? No, but I never... I mean..."

"Let's just be friends" Juliet added, a smirk slowly appearing on her lips, before exploding in laughter before Dana's frustrated frown. "Of course I know what you meant, dummy"

"I fucking hate you when you're drunk"

"Next! Taylor!" Juliet shouted happily, now seemingly taking pleasure in the game once her turn was over.

"Taylor Christensen, I study photography"

Silence.

"Uh... That's it..?" Dana frowned after a few seconds. "Don't you have other things to say? Stuff that you like, or something like that?"

"Uh... I spend time with Victoria and Courtney"

"T, she's asking about you, not us" interviened Victoria, slightly exasperated.

"Well, I like to party..."

Max noticed a sad look in her eyes, which disappeared as quicly as it had appeared.

_What happened to the confidence she had earlier..?_

"Vic, your turn" she said, trying to shift the attention away from her.

Victoria cleared her throat.

_Poker face: The Return_

"I'm Victoria Chase, studying Photography at Blackwell under Gabriel Walker's teachings. And I love cookies more than almost anything else" she stated on a monotone tone which matched her current expression.

"Well that was surprisingly normal coming from you, don't you think Dana?"

"I must say I was expectng you to tell us your resume or something along those lines..." said the latter. Victoria just stared at her, her eyes empty.

"Kate?" Dana asked, turning towards her, since Victoria probably wasn't going to add anything else.

"Yeah?"

"You and Max have been quite silent lately. It's your turn!" she said gently.

"Uuuuuh..." she mumbled, blushing. "My name is Cake Marsh and..." Victoria snorted and Kate quickly corrected herself. "I- I mean, my name is Kate Marsh, I just arrived in Blackwell and I play violin during my free time" she paused before adding " I'm a Christian"

"I heard you this morning, I mean you're soooooo good!" Juliet ranted, her eyes widened once again, fixated on Kate who blushed even more – something that Max thought was impossible since she was already as red as a tomato.

"Thank you" she managed to articulate, lifting her head to match Juliet's eyes, a warm smile on her lips. She seemed honestly, genuinely happy.

"Maxiiiiiiine. You're the last one bring it on." said Poker face Victoria, before repeating for herself "bring it on for fuck's sake..."

"I'm **Max** Caulfield", said Max while putting the emphasis on her name. "I also study photography and I love the pictures I take with my instant camera. And I take it everywhere with me, and don't mind me if you see me taking pictures of anything and everything – including you, I do that all the time. And I'll turn 18 this month, aaaaand I talk too much"

"Breathe, Maxine"

"It's ok, don't worry" Dana laughed. "I was the one who asked for it after all. You'll turn 18 soon? When exactly?"

"September 21st"

"I'll note that down" she said while doing so on her phone. Once done, she put it back in her pocket and added "Now, to get to better know each other, what would you say of a game of Truth or Da-"

"God No!" Roared Juliet, thus earning Kate's shocked frown.

"Bad mood, no food! I possess the snacks" Dana diabolically grinned.

_ _

They had been at it for around an hour and a half when they stopped. It actually was pretty entertaining, seeing Kate blushing to almost everything except when it came to religion, earning the person who uttered the cursed words a gaze full of reproach. The evening seemed to have helped her gain a bit of confidence, as it did for Max. And as for Victoria, she was still trying to hide the effects of alcohol while keeping her funny looking blank face, leaning against Taylor while Julet, next to them, was making no effort to conceal its impact on her behavior. Dana was smiling all the time, and seemed to be having a lot of fun.

_Her ideas may sound really cliché but damn, I'm spending one hell of a good evening!_

"And now my dears, what if I told you that we coud go outside, right now, to take a good look at the starry sky?"

Victoria's eyes lit back up.

"I'm starting to get a bit tired" Kate yawned, stretching her arms. "If you go out I'll probably get back to my room"

"And what about you folks?"

"I'm all for it!" shouted Juliet, still as full of energy.

"Victoria, do you..." Taylor asked, looking at her friend.

"Yeah... Yeah, I need a bit of fresh air"

"I'll go too then", Taylor quickly added.

Dana turned to Max with a hopeful face.

"Yeah, why not? I can still stay up for a bit"

"Hurray!!! You sure you don't want to come Kate?"

"No, sorry. I probably would've fallen asleep anyway so, yeah..."

"As you wish. Thanks for coming tonight, we had a great time"

"No, thank you Dana" she beamed. She paused before adding timidly "We shoud do it again sometime?"

"Definitely! Would you invite us to your room? I could help with the preparations!"

"My room..?" she repeated, taken aback for a second, before ginning again. "That'd be awesome! I'll need your help, I never did that before..."

"You'll teach me violin, Katie" ordered Juliet. That didn't sound like a question.

"O- Of course, it'll be my pleasure!"

She seemed overwhelemed, not knowing how to answer.

"We could draw together sometime?" asked Max maliciously, awaiting Kate's reaction. Having another person asking her stuff, she looked panicked but was still smiling.

"Whenever you want Max!"

"Good night Kate" she smiled while the others – even Victoria – said the same. The door closed and a joyful and relieved squeal came from the other side.

_ _

The view was breathtaking. Of course, Max could easily see the stars from her room's windows, but it wasn't the same as being directly outside. In fact, it had been years since she last saw the night sky looking like this.

_Since... Since I left Arcadia Bay._

She only now realized how much she had missed it, back in Seattle. The sky there always had that dark-orangey tone durning the night, and managing to see even a single star was already an accomplishment in itself. And here, she could distinguish the Milky Way.

Max took her eyes off of the stars to look around her. Juliet and Dana were lying in the grass, eyes wide open. Taylor was doing the same, her back against a bench. But it was Victoria who caught Max's attention. Sitting cross legged on top of it, her face illuminated by the moon, she seemed at peace. She had gotten rid of both her poker face and her uptight expression, and was simply smiling. The most genuine smile Max had ever seen on her face.

Taylor turned her head to look at her friend, pointing at a bright dot.

"Say V, what that star up there?"

"That's not a star, Tay. That's Venus.

"The planet? But why is it so bright?"

"It's because its atmosphere is so dense and reflective that very little light can go through it. The rest gets shot back into space, and at us"

Max couldn't believe it actually was Victoria who was talking like that. The Victoria who was always picking on her, snorting at the slightest thing, was calmly and peacefully explaining astronomical stuff with a look of pure peace on her face. She looked like an angel, bathing in moonligh.

_Wait... She's interested in astronomy?_

"And if that's Venus, are there other planets that we can see with the naked eye right now?" Max asked, half curious to see how Victoria would react, half genuinely interested.

"Yeah, of course", she answered immediately and on the same tone. "You can see Jupiter right up there, and if you look closely you can distinguish a red dot here. That's Mars." She said while still pointing at different portions of the sky.

_Did she notice I was the one who asked..?_

Either way, Victoria was now looking at Jupiter, totally still.

Max just couldn't resist.

_ _

Victoria had been silently staring at the stars for a few minutes when she heard a small buzzing sound. She looked around to see Max, seated on the ground to her left, camera pointed in her direction, retrieving the photograph coming out of it.

"Wha-"

"Hm?" she asked innocently.

"You just..." She couldn't believe it: she had forgotten Caulfield. You should never forget to be weary of Caulfields whenever there's one around, otherwise you could be sure to find a shutter pointed at you. And of course, the second she had forgotten about her, her camera was already out.

"Give me that" she ordered. She had to destroy the photo. Nobody messed with her image.

"What? No way!"

"I said give me tha-"

"Woaaaaah! It looks so good!" Max exclaimed while shifting to take a better look at the image under the moonlight, not minding Victoria as if she wasn't there at all.

Juliet and Dana had seated up, and were looking at them, intrigued. As for Taylor, she seemed to have fallen asleep against the bench, a smile on her lips.

"I mean seriously, look at it!" Max then exclaimed joyfully, turning back towards her and putting the picture under Victoria's nose. She looked like a child who had been gifted what she long dreamed of.

Still unable to utter a word, Victoria lowered her gaze to look at it.

And she stopped breathing.

The shot was absolutely perfect.

Her delicate features were dimly but clearly visible in the moonlight, her short hair reflecting part of it. She looked like she was wearing a tiara made of light. Her lips had woven an expression she had never seen on her face before: simple peace. A small but warm and calm smile.

Behind her, the silhouettes of the dormitory grounds' trees were standing out in front of the stars. The Milky Way was passing behind her head, highlighting even more the shape of her profile, and in front of her eyes, almost in the corner of the picture, was a small red dot: Mars.

"Max, I..."

"This is the best picture I ever took. Ever"

She looked like she was about to cry.

Victoria quietly took the photo out of her hands, looked at it another time and, slowly, gave it back to her.

"Thank you Victoria", she sniffed, real tears in her eyes this time, reflecting light. She was genuinely crying.

_What is she thanking me for? Being her model or... or not tearing it up..? Not getting upset?_ _How could I get ever get upset after seeing that..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must say, it's waaaay harder to write when more than two or three characters are present in a same scene; not repeating myself with their names, not using 'she said' every five seconds...  
> I'm pretty happy with how this turned out though, especially the last part. It's amateur, far from being perfect, but for me it means a lot.
> 
> Once again, thank you for reading through all of this. I don't know if I'll ever manage to find a standard size for my chapters, we'll see I guess. I go with the flow.
> 
> PS: We'll finally get to the crispy stuff in two chapters.
> 
> Edit (21/09/20): Happy 25th birthday Max! 😊
> 
> Another edit: Yup it's been a while since I last updated but I still intend to continue the story, no worries here 👌
> 
> Another another edit (02/03/21): Ok so I can clearly see that I cannot get to writing with University in the background. Once again rest assured: I definitely intend on finishing this, but it'll have to wait a bit. If everything goes well, I should be able to get back to it around May. Sorry for not updating in months 😢


End file.
